Process of preparing pyrotechnics.



ijuirsp Snares Patented May so, 190e,

Parent anion.

VIRGINIA FIREWORKS PROCESS OF PREPAWNG PYRifQTEfi 00., OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA,

HNSGS.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 728,878, dated'ldayw; 19bit;

Application filed January 22, 1902. Serial No. 90,818-

(No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, NICHOLAS DEL GRANDE, a citizen of the United States, residing atP- tersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Process of Preparing a Compound for Pyro technics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a compound for use in connection with that class of pyrotechnics commercially known as whistlingbombs. The substance heretofore employed for this purpose is picrate of potash, a chem .ical having the peculinrproperty when tightly packed in a tube and ignited of producing a sharp and shrill whistling sound.

The object of the present invention is in a' simple, thoroughly practical, and feasible manner to lessen the time and labor required in the production of picrate of potash.

\Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved picrate of potash and method of making the same, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

In carrying theinvention into effect there is taken of the following ingredients, by weight: saltpeter, three parts; picric acid of commerce, onepart; water in the necessary quantity.

The saltpeter and the pieric acid are separately placedin suitable vessels and water 1 added thereto, either cold, warm, or boiling,

in any desired quantity, but preferably just "sufiicient to effect thorough dissolving of the ingredients. In any event whether the water be cold or boiling heat is applied to the vessel to bring the water to and hold it at the point of ebulliiion for some moments, after which the saltpeter solution is poured into and slowly mixed with the dissolved acid, both of the solutions being highly heated. The resultant compound is a floccule nt mass, resembling in appearance finely-grated dairy cheese mixed with water and having ayellowish color. After the ingredients are thoroughly comniiilgled the Water is expressedtherefrom in any suitable man ner,after which the compound is broken up into small pieces and allowed to dry, when it is reduced to a mosphere.

minimum, and, further,

a suitable sieve. The compound is then taken and forced under pressure into holders, each as paper tubes, with which is associated an igniting device in the nature oi a fuse.

A peculiar property possessed by this compound over the ordinary pier-ate of-potash is that in common with the same it Will emit a shrill whistling sound when ignited if tightly packed in'a holder, as above stated; but it only loosely placed therein it will explode with a violence equal to that of gunpowder. Moreover, it is more easily ignited than ordinary picrate of potash, and for that reason powder or granules by being worked through excessive care has to' be taken that no lire is employed when "the componnd is manufactured, all of the operations being carried on v preferably byheat from steam-coils or ovens heated by steam-coils.

Another feature peculiar to this compound is that it has marked non-hygroscopic properties, inasmuch as that after the compo ml is once thoroughly dried and packed in he tubes ordinary dampness in the atmosphere will not affect it, whereas the ordinary pier-ate of potash of commerce ishygroscopic to a degree that will render it inoperative if left for any length of time in a damp or moist at- ,The property of resisting entrance of moisture into the compound of the present invention is believed to be due to the fact of the large percentage of saltpeter in proportion to that of picric acid, the granules of the compound when dried being exceedingly brittle and ditficult to reduce easily to a powder.

By the method of producing p'icrate of potash under the procedure of the present invention its cost of production is reduced to a the employment of skilled labor or of an attendant having some degree of chemical knowledge is rendered entirely unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein whistlirfg-bombs, which consists in slowly incorporating a boiling solution containing three partsby weight ing solution containing onepart by Weight of picric acid, th resulting compound being of saltpeter with a boil-' (13' mass resembling in aplvmy own 1 have hereio affixed my signature in peamnce finely-grated dairy cheese mixed the presence off two Witnesses. wih W r nd 1 -W y Y iowish (30101 M a h a 1 MeHoLAs DEL eRANDn.

then expressing the Water, then drying by 5 radiated heat, and fineiiy reducing the mass Witnesses:

5. 1-1. JOCHUM, Jr.,

to powder 0v granules.

In testimony that I claim the foxegoing as i F. S. APPLEMAN. 

